Airplane step



2 Sheets-Sheet l G. M. REED AIRPLANE STEP F IG. l.

Aug. 4, 1953 Filed April 28, 1951 FIG. a

INVENTOR GERALD M. REED ATTORNEYS G. M. REED AIRPLANE STEP Aug. 4, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 28. 1951 INVENTOR 29 GERALD M. REED ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 4, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,647,677 l AIRPLANE STEP Gerald M. Reed, Santa Monica, Calif. Application April 28, 1951, Serial No. .223,470 4 Claims. Cl. 228-48) This invention has to do with `retractable steps or stairs.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel, relatively simple, retractable `step or stair assembly construction designed particularly for installation in an airplane but useful for other types of installations.

Another object is to provide a retractable step construction means of entering and leaving an airplane, ve-

hicle, building, or other object in which it is Another object is to` provide a construction f.-

'the type indicated which is' power-driven but requires little power which is positive ln its operation.

These and other objects will be apparent from the 'drawings and the following description.

Referring tol the drawings:

l is' a perspective view showing the step assembly extended and, as it appears, when mounted in an airplane fuselage, the latter being fragmentarily shown;

Fig.y 2 is a view similar to Fig. l but showing the step. assembly in retracted position;

S is a plan View. partially broken away, showing a portion of the step assembly and showing the guide means and actuating means therefore;

Fig. 4, is anr enlarged fragmentary sectional view on linefi-lof Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional View' on line 5--liL of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6r is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view online ll--B of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a sectional View longitudinally through the guide means and step assembly on the approximate plane indicated by line 'l-l of Fig.

with the step assembly retracted;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional View on line 8-8 of Fig. 7; and

Fig-9 is a diagrammatic View showing an alternate type of installation and actuating means.

be installed in. other vehicles and in buildings of ystair assembly, generally indicated by numeral l5. lIn Fig. l the step assembly is shown extended, and in Fig. 2 it is shown retracted.

The rstep assembly shown comprises a pair of step stringere,

I8. Additional steps can be used as required in The steps extend between the stringere and may be connected thereto by welding or rivets (not shown) Below the lower step there is provided a cover plate member 20 which, when the stepy assembly is retracted, is adapted to lie flush with the outer surface of the body of the airplane as shown in Fig. 2.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 3 8, the step assembly I5 is received Within a guide means, generally indicatedl by numeral 222. The 'guide means is shown. as comprising a pair of laterally spaced parallel rails, indicated by 23 and 23. These rails arechannel-shaped in cross section and are mounted substantially horizontally in the fuselage, preferably beneath the floor and maybe supported upon and fastened to the conventional stringers 215.

Each of the guide rails supports a slide stop member', these being indicated by numerals 26, 26'. As appears from Fig.. 5,- the slide stop'- members are also channel-shaped and fit within the slide stop' member is pro- With this construction it willv be apparent that the two slide stop members are mountedfor only limited movement longitudinally of the guide rails.

In' order to provide a flush guide surface for the step assembly when it is retracted within the guide rails, each guide rail is tted with a guide strip, indicated by 32. These guide s are received within an extension 28 of the slots 28 when the slide stop members are in retracted position as shown in Fig.` 7.

Each slide stop member isprovided at its outer end on its inner surface with an abutmentA block or plate 35; As best shown in Fig. 6, each of inner edge 3:! which includes an upwardly and outwardly inclined major surface 38- and. a downwardly and outwardly inclined lesser surface 3S,

' and the fact that the two meeting in a curved connecting surface 40. rI'he outer ends of the guide rails are cut on an angle to provide an inclined end portion 42 as best shown in Fig. 6. With the construction described, when the slide stop members are moved to their outermost position they extend beyond the guide rails.

The step assembly includes a header at the inner end, indicated by numeral 44. Formed or mounted on the header and extending laterally outwardly of the step assembly are a pair of stop abutment plates, indicated by 46. These plates, as best shown in Fig. 6, are somewhat triangular in shape and are each provided with an inclined forward edge 41 and with a rounded upper edge portion 48 adapted to fit the aforementioned edge surfaces 3'! and 40 of the abutment plates With this construction, when the step assembly is extended, the abutment plates on the slide stop members and on the step assembly abut and coact to limit outward movement of the step assembly. At the same time the abutment plates the stop slide members, when extended, project beyond the guide rails permit the step assembly to pivot to the position in which the assembly is shown in Figs. l-i and 6.

For the purpose of actuating the step assembly I provide a jack shaft 50, which may be tubular. The outer end of the shaft, indicated by 50', is inclined upwardly and terminates in an eye 5| which receives a pin 52 mounted in the header at the end of the step assembly. In this connection it may be pointed out that the header is provided with a slot 54 to receive the jack shaft and permit pivotal movement of the parts.

The inner end of the jack shaft threadedly receives a jack screw 56 which is mounted in a thrust block 51 and rotated by means of a flexible shaft 58 driven by a motor 59. Preferably a dust guard sleeve 6| is provided outwardly of the block to enclose the jack screw and jack shaft when the same is retracted.

The motor 59 is preferably a reversible D. C. motor and suitable controls, such as those indicated at B2, may be provided at a remote point from the motor as Within the cockpit of the airplane.

In the operation of the device, assuming the step assembly is retracted as shown in Figs. 2 and 7, the motor is operated to rotate the jack screw and actuate jack shaft 50 which moves the step assembly outwardly in the guide rails and slide stop members. 'Ihe slide stop members are carried with the step assembly from their retracted position to an extended position and the step assembly is limited in its travel by engagement of the abutment plates 46 thereon with the plates 35 of the slide stop members. As previously pointed out, the abutment plates are so shaped that they permit the step assembly to pivot downwardly under the influence of gravity to the position in which it is shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 6. To retract the step assembly, the motor is operated in a reverse direction.

In the operation of retracting and extending the step assembly, the jack shaft remains in the low position in which it is shown in Fig. 4 by reason of the inclined outer end 50 thereof being pivotally secured to the step assembly at a point such that the axis of pivotal connection does not rise or fall during extension and retraction and pivotal movement of the step assembly.

In Fig. 9 there is diagrammatically shown another or modified form of actuating means sembly wholly therein,

which is designed for an installation where there is insufficient room widthwise of the airplane body for the installation of the type previously described. For example, in some airplanes the fuselage or body is relatively high off the ground, and in Order to provide a stair or step assembly of sufficient length to reach the ground, the step assembly, when retracted, extends over half the width of the airplane. It will be apparent that the actuating mechanism shown or rather previously described would be unsuitable. Thus in Fig. 9 I show apparatus suitable for this purpose. The step assembly, indicated by 55a, extends more than half the width of the fuselage, which is indicated by lla. The step assembly is mounted in the same way as previously described. In order to actuate it, I provide a screw shaft S5 extending transversely of the fuselage and mounted for rotation as in bearings 555 and 61. The shaft is driven by motor eil. A nut l@ is mounted on the shaft G5, and this is connected to the step assembly by a'link 'il pivotally mounted at both ends. It will be apparent that with the construction described the nut l5 is caused to travel longitudinally of the shaft 65 when the same is rotatedto thereby actuate the step assembly i511..

Although I have shown and described a preferred and a modified form of the invention as applied to an airplane, it will be apparent that various changes and modiiications can be made without departing from the invention and that the invention is suitable for installation in a varietyl of structures such as stationary buildings, ships, and vehicles generally.

I claim:

l. An extensible retractable step means adapted to be mounted in a structure such as an airplane, comprising a step assembly, guide means in said structure slidably receiving said step assaid. guide means including a pair of laterally spaced substantially horirontally disposed parallel guide rails terminating at their outer ends adjacent an outer surface of said structure and a slide stop member mounted wholly within each guide rail for limited movement longitudinally of the rail to a position projecting beyond the outer end of the rail, said step assembly being received between said slide stop members, and interengaging elements at the outer ends of said slide stop members and at the inner end of said step assembly limiting outward movement of said step assembly and permitting pivotal movement thereof relative to said slide stop members.

2. An extensible retractable step means adapted to' be mounted in a structure such as an airplane, comprising a step assembly including a pair of laterally spaced parallel step stringers with steps extending therebetween, substantially horizontally disposed guide means in said structure for slidably receiving the step assembly wholly within, said guide means including a pair of laterally spaced, parallel, channel-shaped, guide rails and a pair of channel-shaped slide stop members mounted wholly therein for limited movement longitudinally thereof to a position projecting beyond the outer ends of the rails, said step assembly being slidably received between and within said slide stop members, and, when retracted, within said rails, abutment plates on the outer end portions of said slide stop members projecting laterally inwardly of the inner surfaces of said members, and laterally outwardly projecting abutment plates mounted on the sides at the inner ends of Said Step aS- mounted within each guide rail for limited Sembly fOI engaging Said rSt-meI1t0ned ablltmovement longitudinally of the rail to a posiment plates to limit outward movement of said tion projecting beyond the outer lend of the Step assembly, Said lStand SGCOnd-mentfmed rail, said step assembly being received between abutment plates being shaped t0 permit limited 5 said slide stop members and whouy within and DVOal mOVement 0f Step assembly t0 a dOWnbetween said guide rails, interengaging elements Wardly inclined position relative to said sind@ at the outer ends of said slide stop members and means. at the inner ends of said stringers limiting out- 3. An extensible retractable step means adapt- Ward movement of said step assembly and per.. ed to be mounted in a structure such as an all l0 mitting pivotal movement thereof relative to elements extensible to a position proiectlng beshort of extended posmon of Said shde stop yond the `Sti.f'lll'lionafry elements, Said movable ele- 15 members and said step assemb1y o ments wholly receiving said step assembly, in- GERALD M. REED* terengaging means at the inner end of said step assembly and at the outer end of said movable References Cited in the me 0f this patent elementsflimiting outward movement of the step assembly and permitting pivotal movement 20 UNITED STATES PATENTS thereof relative to said movable elements when Number Name Date the step assembly is extended. 667,753 Whiteley Feb. 12, 1901 4. An extensible retractable step means adapt- 1,751,139 Feinstein Mar. 18, 1930 ed to be mounted in a structure such as an air- 1,902,230 Gundersen Mar. 21, 1933 plane, comprising a step assembly including a 25 1,957,989 Austin May 8, 1934 pair of parallel stringers and steps extending 2,270,735 Knudsen Jan. 20, 1942 therebetween, guide means mounted in the 21,315,110 Dornier Mar. 30, 1943 structure including a pair of parallel, laterally 2,446,434 Rechain Aug. 3, 1948 spaced guide rails and a slide stop member 2,487,660 McCann Nov. 8, 1949 

